An enthusiastic, gregarious, warm hearted female with a sense of humour, youthful energy, combined with life experiences and the wisdom of age!

About Clare

I am a young-at-heart fit, healthy and active 66 year old. I retired earlier than expected from my jobs as a part time NHS Practice Manager and self employed tutor/trainer in the Care and Voluntary Sector in NW England, to move back to my home town of Swansea, having been away for 38 years living in Scotland and England. I moved back to help nur...

I am a young-at-heart fit, healthy and active 66 year old. I retired earlier than expected from my jobs as a part time NHS Practice Manager and self employed tutor/trainer in the Care and Voluntary Sector in NW England, to move back to my home town of Swansea, having been away for 38 years living in Scotland and England. I moved back to help nurse my father, brother and step mother who all sadly had terminal illnesses and died within a 3 year period.

I am a flexible, adaptable, caring, honest, trustworthy, reliable, ethical, non-smoker with a sense of humour, and who is calm in a crisis. I hold a CRB check from my work with vulnerable adults, and am currently awaiting an update from this site.

In the summer of 2017 I was awarded a "Super Sitter" Certificate from trustedhousesitters, and I have the T shirt, too!

To keep my brain active I am a member of Swansea U3A, and have set up some of the Beginners Languages Groups. I am Convenor for Welsh Pronunciation, one of the Creative Writing Groups, and one of the Poetry Groups. I also attend another Poetry Group and am a member of the Family History, Art Appreciation and Art History Groups. I help to organise some workshops and attend various U3A events.

Following up on my pursuit of family history and my visits to Cornwall (from whence some of my ancestors hail) I have started learning Cornish!

In addition I enjoy reading - mostly crime fiction, and am interested in history both local and ancient, the seaside, the countryside, architecture, interior design, languages and cultures.

I am very fortunate to live on the outskirts of the Gower Peninsula, and enjoy walks along the beaches and cliffs as well as in our numerous lovely local parks. I like to keep fit.

I am a car owner, hold a full, clean driving licence and attended a Refresher Driving Course in May 2016.

I am an animal lover and have had pets all my life. Sadly I am unable to do so now as I live in a first floor flat, hence my interest in and love of pet sitting for others.

Why I want to house sit

This is something I have always wanted to do, and can do so now I am retired. I think it is a rewarding experience for all parties, particularly in the knowledge that beloved pets are cared for in their own homes. I know how important this is from personal experience as I used to have a sitter for my most recent pets, 2 beautiful Birman cats, Jasper and Loulou.

It also presents an opportunity for visiting parts of the UK and abroad that might not otherwise be the case, with the added bonus of not being a mere tourist. There's a sense of adventure, sometimes exploring new horizons, but also revisiting familiar haunts, whilst having the great satisfaction of helping house owners feel safe and secure in the knowledge that their house and beloved pets are being well and responsibly cared for. The fact it is a non-monetary arrangement is admirable, and offers an opportunity for friendships to develop, to form a firm bond with the pets, and to treat them with as much love, kindness and care as I would my own.

My experience

Love, care, kindness, warmth, affection, open-heartedness, interest, willingness, commitment and responsibility. As already mentioned, I have had pets since a child, so have many years experience of looking after cats and dogs in particular.

As a householder, I am conscious of the importance of looking after and respecting property, and keeping things organised, clean and tidy.

Since joining the site in May 2016 I have been lucky enough to have had a variety of lovely sits thus increasing my experience. These have included a month in an eco house, old cottages, modern houses, both with and without gardens in a variety of settings.

Petwise I prefer one dog per household (although I have experiences of 2 dogs at a time) plus cats in the same place; and also cats only households. I have experience of rescue pets, those who are nervous, and those that require medication.

This year I have been awarded a certificate as a "Super Sitter" by trustedhousesitters, and also got the T shirt!

I do not sit locally, as I find it's refreshing to visit different places, as well as returning to areas of familiarity when I am asked back for repeat sits. Having a change of scenery and routine suits me as I need the physical and mental stimuli.

That said, it is very important for me to reassure the homeowner that in addition to offering peace of mind as regards the house, their beloved pets are the main priority and that their needs and preferences will always come first.

Reviews (12)

Lisa - Newton Abbot, United Kingdom

10 July - 25 July 2017

We couldn't have asked for a more caring, kind, warm and professional house sitter. Thank you Clare! A great job of loving our babies whilst we were away. We highly recommend Clare - very trustworthy, obvious has bags of experience, loves animals and caring for them. AND, we returned home to a ho... + More

We couldn't have asked for a more caring, kind, warm and professional house sitter. Thank you Clare! A great job of loving our babies whilst we were away. We highly recommend Clare - very trustworthy, obvious has bags of experience, loves animals and caring for them. AND, we returned home to a home well cared for too! Our house was probably cleaner when we returned than when we left it! We also loved Clare's approach to life and her great sense of humour, her positive personality, curiosity in life and travels and places and people, and we have become friends. What a find! Thank you Trusted Housesitters! And most of all, thank you so much to you Clare.

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

- Less

Alison - Solva, United Kingdom

13 June - 21 June 2017

Clare was an excellent house sitter and as soon as we met Clare we knew Max, Alfie, Blue and Dora would be in safe, capable hands as they all took to Clare immediately when we introduced them to her. Max our old Cocker Spaniel is a quite timid, but Clare gained his confidence and you could tell ... + More

Clare was an excellent house sitter and as soon as we met Clare we knew Max, Alfie, Blue and Dora would be in safe, capable hands as they all took to Clare immediately when we introduced them to her. Max our old Cocker Spaniel is a quite timid, but Clare gained his confidence and you could tell he had a lovely time with Clare as he was so relaxed on our return. Alfie our Jack Russell really missed Clare and would have quite happily gone home with her! Our house was left immaculate and our pets happy, healthy and relaxed on our return. Thank you so much Clare for housesitting for us and it was a pleasure to meet you. I would highly recommend Clare as a house sitter and I hope that maybe one day she would be able to house sit again for us.

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

- Less

Louise - Truro, United Kingdom

11 August - 25 August 2017

Clare did a brilliant job taking care of our cats and dogs - and the house was spotless when we got home. I would recommend Clare to anyone wanting a house sitter and would welcome her back to us at any time. + More

Clare did a brilliant job taking care of our cats and dogs - and the house was spotless when we got home. I would recommend Clare to anyone wanting a house sitter and would welcome her back to us at any time.

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

- Less

View all Reviews (12)

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About Clare

I am a young-at-heart fit, healthy and active 66 year old. I retired earlier than expected from my jobs as a part time NHS Practice Manager and self employed tutor/trainer in the Care and Voluntary Sector in NW England, to move back to my home town of Swansea, having been away for 38 years living in Scotland and England. I moved back to help nurse my father, brother and step mother who all sadly had terminal illnesses and died within a 3 year period.

I am a flexible, adaptable, caring, honest, trustworthy, reliable, ethical, non-smoker with a sense of humour, and who is calm in a crisis. I hold a CRB check from my work with vulnerable adults, and am currently awaiting an update from this site.

In the summer of 2017 I was awarded a "Super Sitter" Certificate from trustedhousesitters, and I have the T shirt, too!

To keep my brain active I am a member of Swansea U3A, and have set up s......

I am a young-at-heart fit, healthy and active 66 year old. I retired earlier than expected from my jobs as a part time NHS Practice Manager and self employed tutor/trainer in the Care and Voluntary Sector in NW England, to move back to my home town of Swansea, having been away for 38 years living in Scotland and England. I moved back to help nurse my father, brother and step mother who all sadly had terminal illnesses and died within a 3 year period.

I am a flexible, adaptable, caring, honest, trustworthy, reliable, ethical, non-smoker with a sense of humour, and who is calm in a crisis. I hold a CRB check from my work with vulnerable adults, and am currently awaiting an update from this site.

In the summer of 2017 I was awarded a "Super Sitter" Certificate from trustedhousesitters, and I have the T shirt, too!

To keep my brain active I am a member of Swansea U3A, and have set up some of the Beginners Languages Groups. I am Convenor for Welsh Pronunciation, one of the Creative Writing Groups, and one of the Poetry Groups. I also attend another Poetry Group and am a member of the Family History, Art Appreciation and Art History Groups. I help to organise some workshops and attend various U3A events.

Following up on my pursuit of family history and my visits to Cornwall (from whence some of my ancestors hail) I have started learning Cornish!

In addition I enjoy reading - mostly crime fiction, and am interested in history both local and ancient, the seaside, the countryside, architecture, interior design, languages and cultures.

I am very fortunate to live on the outskirts of the Gower Peninsula, and enjoy walks along the beaches and cliffs as well as in our numerous lovely local parks. I like to keep fit.

I am a car owner, hold a full, clean driving licence and attended a Refresher Driving Course in May 2016.

I am an animal lover and have had pets all my life. Sadly I am unable to do so now as I live in a first floor flat, hence my interest in and love of pet sitting for others.

Why I want to house sit

This is something I have always wanted to do, and can do so now I am retired. I think it is a rewarding experience for all parties, particularly in the knowledge that beloved pets are cared for in their own homes. I know how important this is from personal experience as I used to have a sitter for my most recent pets, 2 beautiful Birman cats, Jasper and Loulou.

It also presents an opportunity for visiting parts of the UK and abroad that might not otherwise be the case, with the added bonus of not being a mere tourist. There's a sense of adventure, sometimes exploring new horizons, but also revisiting familiar haunts, whilst having the great satisfaction of helping house owners feel safe and secure in the knowledge that their house and beloved pets are being well and responsibly cared for. The fact it is a non-monetary arrangement is admirable, and offers an opportunity for friendships to develop, to form a firm bond with the pets, and to treat them with as much love, kindness and care as I would my own.

My experience

Love, care, kindness, warmth, affection, open-heartedness, interest, willingness, commitment and responsibility. As already mentioned, I have had pets since a child, so have many years experience of looking after cats and dogs in particular.

As a householder, I am conscious of the importance of looking after and respecting property, and keeping things organised, clean and tidy.

Since joining the site in May 2016 I have been lucky enough to have had a variety of lovely sits thus increasing my experience. These have included a month in an eco house, old cottages, modern houses, both with and without gardens in a variety of settings.

Petwise I prefer one dog per household (although I have experiences of 2 dogs at a time) plus cats in the same place; and also cats only households. I have experience of rescue pets, those who are nervous, and those that require medication.

This year I have been awarded a certificate as a "Super Sitter" by trustedhousesitters, and also got the T shirt!

I do not sit locally, as I find it's refreshing to visit different places, as well as returning to areas of familiarity when I am asked back for repeat sits. Having a change of scenery and routine suits me as I need the physical and mental stimuli.

That said, it is very important for me to reassure the homeowner that in addition to offering peace of mind as regards the house, their beloved pets are the main priority and that their needs and preferences will always come first.